How Has Eyfs Been For You?

[happy4]

Hello

 

I am doing a BA in childhood studies and and my dissertion is on how childminders have found the the implementation and use of the EYFS.

 

I would really like your comments on how it is going for you, comments can be on what you think of the benfits to the child, family and yourself , what changes it has brought about for you and have these been positive or negative. Anything you would like to comment on would be great.

 

Many thanks if you can help

[Guest]

hi happy4

I dont work as a childminder now but have done!

I was not worried when EYFS came in-I had read up on it before and attended the launch programme of it . I always kept my childminding paper work up to date pre EYFS so although there was definately more paper work to do once it was in place I think all the extra work was worth it.The development file/learning journal were welcomed by the parents because it gave them the opportunity to see exactly what their child had done during the day at my house, wow moments,lots of photos, comments on milestones and of course lots of observations. EYFS also helped me to plan for each individual child and made me more aware of all the learning areas of development. I was also offered lots of free training with my local authority(linked to EYFS)

Having said all this I know and have met lots of childminders who are very negative about EYFS - (too much paper work, we are not teachers, should not have to do all this in our own home,)

I now work in a CC and part of my role is to engage childminders and to try and get them to come to our sessions!!

Good luck with your BA im thinking of doing it also!! Unsworth

[Guest]

[HELLO

 

I AM ALSO IN THE MIDDLE OF COMPLETING MY BA HONOURS IN CHILDHOOD STUDIES DISSETATION 3 WEEKS TO HAND IN DATE

 

MY DISSETATION IS ON CHILDRENS TRANSITION TO RECEPTION CLASS

I HAVE BEEN INTERVIEWING, OBSERVING, SENDING QUESTIONNAIRES TO PARENTS, TEACHERS AND KEY-PERSONS

ONE OF MY MAIN FINDINGS IS THAT MOST PARENTS ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE EYFS AND THEY DONT KNOW THIS CONTINUES INTO THEIR FIRST YEAR AT SCHOOL. TEACHERS FEEDBACK HAS BEEN POSITIVE BUT FIND ASSESSMENT TIME CONSUMING.

 

GOOD LUCK

BUMBLBEE

 

P.S DO YOU FEEL THIS HAS TAKEN OVER YOUR LIFE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[narnia]

Me too!! My dissertation is on 'The Place of risk in children's play and learning'...................I'm particularly interested in the freedoms i had as a child to go out and play, totally unsupervised, as opposed to the lack of freedom many children seem to have nowadays. i also want to find out if the lack of play......spontaneous play, where children can climb, run jump freely, affects their bones now, and/or in later life..................so, does 'risk free' play now affect the risk of bone fractures when we're elderly etc. Any ideas, pointers, tips , stories, gratefully accepted, and any research tips too please!!

[happy4]

Hello

 

Many thanks for your replies!

 

Unsworth - do think that the other childminders views are valid - Obviously in your job now you are trying to turn it all round for them to become a positive. Is it fear do you think or are they making too much work for themselves and then not managing with the upkeep or organisiation of it. When you were a childminder - how many extra hours did you put in doing the learning journeys etc or did you manage to do this in your minded hours. Thanks for the help - Good luck if you decide to do the BA.

[Guest]

hi happy4!

 

I've been childminding for 12+ years and have found EYFS a positive thing. Possibly because I was doing most of what EYFS asks for already and anything that needed included or introduced I've found on here!

 

EYFS raises the bar for childminders - if we want to be recognised for the quality service we provide we have to have something tangible to show parents and Inspectors.

 

Lots of childminders were (are!) daunted by the hype surrounding EYFS before it even started. Training was hit and miss in our area and delivered by trainers who had no knowledge of childminding and the role of the childminder.

 

Once people had read the pack and started to implement their own procedures I think it became less scary but still time consuming

 

I have 4 minded children under EYFS. My working day is from 7.45am to 5.45pm. After tidying round, making tea, running my daughter to music lessons etc I find myself doing Learning Journeys from 9pm or at weekends - fitting ithem in round my FD assignments!!

 

Working alone, there's no PPA time or cover for me to have an hour a week to do them while the children are here.

 

That said, I still think EYFS is good! It's certainly given those childminders who take a professional approach a chance to shine and given others something to strive for!

 

Hope that helps, feel free to pm me if you have any other questions. I was a case study last year for a BA(hons) student doing the same thesis!

 

Nona

[happy4]

Hi Nona

 

thanks for your reply

 

I have been reading the 'hype' around the eyfs and had previously ignored it. It is easy to get drawn into it though and see where they too are coming from!

 

I have to do a lit review which looks at both sides of the coin and I have to say that yes the the EYFS is a good thing - the impact of lessening family time what with studying for the Ba also has been the difficult thing for me. The parents also do not like the 'milestones' and teminology in the learning journeys. They much prefer to see the scrapbook with photo's in and comments.

 

Like you I was already providing learning opportunities for the children within the eyfs - I also always documented this with daily diaries for the parents. I think a lots of it is about your approach to your role and whether you see it as a profession or just a job. This also feeds to other peoples perception of the role and I find this quite negative from other areas in early years sometimes.

 

Thanks for the info you gave - good luck with your foundation degree - are you going to take it further to the BA?

[Guest]

Hopefully, Happy4!!

 

My FD is Integrated Children's and Young People's Services and the last semester has been on Health Realted issues - far from my comfort zone and a real struggle at times. However, have had some great feedback from my tutors and I'm going to resubmit 1 module after half term.

 

Sounds terrible I know, but I'm actually relieved that this semester we're looking at Child Protection - at least I'm not starting from scratch on this module! (Apart from the 2.5 hour open book exam in May )

 

Good Luck with your BA

 

Nona

[Guest]

Narnia - a parent I childmind for has links with PlayEngland (playengland.org.uk) and often brings me articles etc about children being allowed to take risks when playing.

 

Nona

[happy4]

Thanks again everyone who replied to my post

 

If there is anyone else who wants to give an opinion that would be great - all will be given equal value. I am trying to ascertain as to whether it was an intial struggle that has got better or do people really either see the need for it or not.

 

Many thanks

[narnia]

thanks Nona...will explore the site!!

[happy4]

Hi

any one out there please post your views - it would be helpful to get lots of different ones

 

Thanks

[Guest]

Hi there.

I personally feel that the EYFS is great!! Like Nona i've only tweaked certain things since its introduction. I was lucky enough to be involved in a digital documentation project 2yrs prior to EYFS which is when I began to document children's learning in what I call a Learning Journey - i don't like to call it a scrapbook as I think this lessens it's worthiness.

As an accredited childminder I was required to make observations pre EYFS so this was nothing new to me.

I do however attend a childminders playgroup where there is still some strong negative feelings towards the EYFS - a kind of "I do what I do but am not going to write down what I do" kind of attitude, "parents don't want it" etc. As an EYP I feel that part of my role is to try and change those attitudes but do you ever get the feeling that sometimes it's just not worth trying!!

I do think its the documenting that is the problem with the EYFS for some childminders - nothing else is really different from before. Risk assessments are also moaned about, I often here "its common sense, none of my children have had an accident so I'm not going to write it down".

 

I am still surprised, and dismayed, when I come across other professionals in different types of settings who say "I didn't realise that childminders have to follow the EYFS too" or parents who choose childminders because they want to avoid the assessment they feel nurseries have to follow.

don't know if I've been any use but good luck with your studies

[Guest]

I absolutely detest the phrase 'learning journey' when applied to a written record of a child's time with me. It sets my teeth on edge.

 

I plan, gather information and record as clearly and helpfully as I can a few examples of a few moments in each child's day. That's all.

 

Every one of us is on a 'learning journey' from the moment we are born until we die.

 

Every second of a child's time with me is a part of their 'learning journey' through life, and I would be embarrassed to call my few written observations and examples of their 'work' their 'learning journey'.

 

Grrrrr. It's my one bug bear about the EYFS

 

I love the rest of it however and applaud it's main principles.

[happy4]

Hi

Thanks for your comments. I have been doing a literature review on the subject - just handed it in today!!!! The debate is very interesting and I read a good book called 'Who's childhood is it?' Gives a very different perspective and brings forth some thought provoking ideas.

 

I ignored the hype and just made the necessary adjustments - but when you start to look a little deeper in to the government polices and objectives and others that have happened over the years it does start to give a very different view about everything. I can now see things much more objectively and can see where those childminders are coming from that berate it - It has actually left me in a very confused state about the whole thing.

 

I still and always will be child and family centred - that is the way I have always worked and government initiatives and policies have not changed that nor will they. But i have page upon page of documents saying that it will not involve any extra paperwork and then this week in the ncma periodical a childminder tells about the extra hours she puts in over and above her normal hours. To me that just is not right.

 

The debate goes on - i am looking forward the outcome of the review later in the year.